Torpedo defense for ships



Oct. 16, 1945. e. P-ROVENZANQ" 2,387,090

TORPEDO DIEFENSE FOR/SHIPS Filed June 8, 1944 I I I INVENTOR. fiaeano Provenaano ATTOKNE latented Oct. 16, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TORPEDO DEFENSE FOR SHIPS Gaetano Provenzano, Greenwich, Conn.

Application June 8, 1944, Serial No. 539,275

1 Claim. (Cl. 114-240) This invention relates to means for protecting ships against torpedo attacks, whether made by submarines, aeroplanes or surface vessels, and one of its objects is the provision of defense system for ships, which will receive the initial thrust of an enemy torpedo, and minimize the effect of any explosion of the torpedo,- by precipitating such explosion before the torpedo can reach the hull of the ship.

Another object of the invention is to carry out the invention in a manner best suited to modern ship construction, and most useful for the general safety of the ship.

With the above and other objects in View the invention relates to certain new and useful constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, clearly described in the following specification, and fully illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sideelevation of a ship equipped with my improved defense system against hostile torpedo attacks.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, and partly in isometric projection, taken on an enlarged scale, showing the structural reinforcing means employed.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of a pair of cells, showing rubber sheets on the thin walls of the cells.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, illus- 1 tratin the practical embodiment of my invention, 5 designates a sea going ship, having the usual hull 6. This hullis constructed of the usual steel plates welded or riveted together, according to any system of construction.

In travelling through the ocean waters a ship is subjected to attack of hostile submarines or surface vessels, which are capable of launching torpedoes against the ship. Aeroplanes can also drop torpedoes in diving operations.

These torpedoes can travel at high speed through the water, under the action of engines operated by compressed air. It is the usual practice to provide these torpedoes with yielding firing pins located in their heads, and in order that these firing pins or firing mechanism can be operated to explode the charge of high explosive carried by the torpedo, it is necessary that the torpedoes strike the ship with an impact force greater than the resistance of the spring controlled firing pin or firing mechanism.

My improved ship defense against torpedo attack consists of a bufier made up of a plurality of vertical walls I, and a plurality of horizontal walls 8, arranged in parallel relation to each other, and composing a series of longitudinal spaces 9.

The vertical and horizontal Walls are made up of metal boxes ll shown in Fig. 3, each box consisting of vertical walls Illa. and [0b, and horizontal walls Illc and I001. The boxes are arranged so that adjacent vertical walls are welded or riveted together and adjacent or confronting horizontal walls are welded or riveted together.

The outside or water facing Wall is composed of a series of metal sheets, the upper end of each sheet being welded or attached to the hull, and the lower end of each sheet being welded or attached to the hull.

The vertical and horizontal walls are preferably constructed of copper or other metal of lower resistance to penetration than the steel plates of which ships are constructed, and it is understood that thin steel plates may be used.

The entire buffer thus presents seaward a series of vertical walls spaced from each other, and a series of horizontal walls, which support the vertical walls, and provide means for yieldably receiving the thrust of a torpedo.

It is understood that the number of vertical walls used may be considerably greater than what I show and that sheets of yielding material, such as rubber ll, may be arranged between the adjacent or confronting vertical walls, so as to increase the resistance to impact pressure offered by the torpedo.

Having described my invention I claim as new:

The combination with the hull of a ship, of a bufier connected to the side of the hull and extending longitudinally thereof and below the normal water line of the hull, said buffer consisting of a series of boxes arranged in vertical and horizontal rows and having vertical and horizontal walls, the boxes being made of thin copper and the vertical and horizontal walls being separated from each other by layers of yielding rubber, and means connecting adjacent horizontal and vertical walls through said layers of rubber, the boxes providing vertical walls having impact resistance considerably below that of the hull of the ship, and thelayers of rubber providing shock absorbing means to diminish the force of impact of a charging torpedo. against the hull.

GAETANO PROVENZANO. 

